Posted on 01/11/2005 2:30:30 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Gov. Rick Perry this morning announced state Rep. Elizabeth Ames Jones of San Antonio as his pick to replace Charles Matthews on the Texas Railroad Commission.
Matthews last week was named chancellor of the Texas State University System, and Jones' appointment will be pending his resignation from the Railroad Commission.
Jones, a Republican, was elected to the House in 2000. She has served on the Energy Resources and the Appropriations committees and is vice chairwoman of the Texas House Republican Caucus.
The three-member Railroad Commission's primary job is overseeing Texas' oil and gas industry.
The process for replacing Jones in the Legislature has not yet been announced.
The governor has 20 days to call a special election, and the election can be called 21 to 40 days after his intent to call an election is announced.
Jones cannot be sworn in to her House seat this morning if she intends to accept. The 79th Legislature convenes this morning.
Jones has been unavailable for comment since speculation about the appointment first arose last week.
The appointment would make her the most prominent San Antonio politician outside of Congress.
Railroad commissioner has more power.
Darn, for a second I thought he picked Jerry Jones, and he would have to sell the Cowboys.
the cover photo calls stephen f austin, the city's namesake, a .
si.
The RRC is more important.
Curious someone from San Antonio. Not exactly hotbed of O & G (although there is some) --- but I do note the University connection.
(Texas funds a big chunk of its colleges via oil and gas revenue --- the univesity system being effective the mineral owner.)
Absolutely, Major Position in Texas gov.
Not surprising Perry picked a woman as a counter to his most prominent adversaries, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Carole Keeton Strylander Rayban OneUglyGrandma
Ames-Jones was also the House ringleader in that stunt last session to take away our right to vote on judges.
Everyone I know that's met her also says she simply isn't very bright...which may be why the governor likes her. The last thing he needs is another statewide officeholder who makes him look dumb by comparison.
Personally, if I could call the shots I'd instruct the Republicans in the Texas Senate to kill her nomination and give her a DC style confirmation battle. Most of them aren't much better than she is though and would never contradict the governor for the good of the state - even if he made an outright STUPID appointment like this.
That may be his angle. Unfortunately and regardless of what ya think of them, both Hutchison and Strayhorn are capable and accomplished politicians. Ames-Jones is not. To put it another way, Perry just gave us 2 years of Railroad Commissioner Barbie.
Major position indeed. And our illustrious governor just nominated Interior Designer Barbie to fill it.
You should run for office.
I'm no Perry fan, so you won't get an argument from me.
Dang! Since it looks like Dubya will never consider Phil Gramm for any cabinet post, wonder if he would be interested in running for govenor? I miss that guy. I know he has a nest on the ground, but for the sake of his beloved Texas, I wish he would.
This one also leaves me very concerned for the state government in general since the position she got picked for is so important. I'm on the belief that appointed RR Commissioners need to be picked from oil companies or geologists who know the issues and Barbie isn't either.
Eactly, I have an association with a Firm that does Maritime/Oil/Gas, it is to specialized for a light weight.
- I'm not rich
- I'm not a member of the party establishment "country club" because I'm too conservative for them
- I've managed to piss off too many sycophants who worship elected officials by criticizing those elected officials.
If I ran I'd be in the situation Ron Paul or Steven Wayne Smith, having to run against an entrenched establishment who would never accept me even if I did win. Only unlike them I don't have the name ID to get a campaign going.
Ron Paul ran unopposed last year!
I figure I may give a shot at state rep sometime if an open seat ever comes up but I can guarantee you the media and most of the GOP country club would hate me. The first bill I ever filed would probably modelled after Jefferson and Madison's Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions of 1799 declaring the federal court's jurisdiction over ten commandments and bible monuments "null and void" within the borders of Texas. It wouldn't go anywhere sadly, but it'd cause a media firestorm and the GOP elites don't like dealing with that sort of thing.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
The people I know, who know her, call her a dumba$$ bimbo. Your guys are nicer!
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